From 6fc84e5993a59d8d49fd10476cb845630fb2c010 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:17:03 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 01/12] Initial draft Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- .../reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 123 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 123 insertions(+) create mode 100644 docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..c91a5838f --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -0,0 +1,123 @@ +.. _reference-exception-NVidiaDocaOfed: + +Nvidia DOCA-OFED Driver Updates +=============================== + +Introduction +------------ + +This document describes the policy, process and criteria for updating +nVidia proprietary DPU drivers (DOCA-OFED) in a stable supported distro, +including LTS. + +nVidia DOCA-OFED drivers are used in conjunction with nVidia Bluefield cards, +DGX and IGX platforms and Connect-X cards. These platforms are used in a variety +of scenarios, included data-centers, AI/ML ... + +Support for new platforms, bug fixes and general improvements are released +regularly by the vendor; there are 4 expected releases during the year +(YY.01, YY.04, YY.07, YY.10) plus possible bug-fixes. + +The other 3 releases are ad-interim releases and are considered short-lived. + +For an improved experience and support new features/hardware without installing +drivers from an unofficial or an external source (PPAs/FTP...), it is +essential to release the latest version of the drivers regularly to the new +stable releases of Ubuntu. + +.. _what_kind_of_updates: + +What kind of updates +-------------------- + +There are 4 expected releases during the year, where YY stands for the year +of release (i.e. YY = 26): + +- **Long term support releases**: The YY.10 version is the sole LTS release of + the year, providing three years of full NVIDIA support. + This release is designed exclusively for the current Ubuntu version and will + not be backported or forward-ported to other Ubuntu releases. + +- **Short lived releases**: YY.01, YY.04, YY.07 are released in their respective + months by nVidia, and are considered ad-interim releases, to be substituted + with the newer one and finish their path into the LTS release. + +Each YY.mm release will have a separate .deb package to make easier to track +and fix older releases, with the focus on the LTS ones. + +The releases targeted by this SRU are all the 4 releases during the year. + +When a new short lived release is available and uploaded, the versioning will +make the user update to the newer release. This happens until the new release +is an LTS one. + +If a user has a LTS release installed, the versioning will make the user update +*ONLY* to the newer LTS release, is available for the installed Ubuntu release. + + +.. _release_schedule: + +Release Schedule +---------------- + +- New version of the driver released by nVidia +- Packaging in Canonical git repository +- Internal release in personal PPA +- QA (smoke test, installs, operational tests, upgrade path test) +- Package ready for release, upload to archive (-proposed pocket) +- Promotion to the -updates pocket + +SRU Process +----------- + +The SRU should be done with a single process bug and not have multiple bug +reports for each bug fix. The LP bug should contain the following: + +- The template at the end of this document should be used and all 'TODO' + filled out. +- The deb changelog will contain a single reference to the SRU LP bug only. +- Major changes must be listed in the SRU template, especially compatibility + issues. +- Results of all the conducted tests should be listed, even as a comment, + in the SRU bug. Any manual test or additional steps taken to perform + testing should be documented. +- Any packaging changes need to be stated. + + + +NVidia SRU Template +------------------- + +:: + + [Impact] + This release provides both bug fixes and new features and we would like to + make sure all of our users have access to these improvements. + The notable ones are: + + *** + + See the changelog entry below for a full list of changes and bugs. + + [Test Case] + The following development and SRU process was followed: + https://documentation.ubuntu.com/sru/en/latest/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed/ + + + + The QA team that executed the tests will be in charge of attaching the artifacts and console output of the appropriate run to the bug. nVidia maintainers team members will not mark ‘verification-done’ until this has happened. + + [Regression Potential] + In order to mitigate the regression potential, the results of the + aforementioned system level tests are attached to this bug. + + + + + [Discussion] + + + + + + From 1ed2fd7ce3f49639c788f477c8d1e41200f2ad62 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:02:08 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 02/12] Add more info about QA and packaging Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- .../reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 74 +++++++++++++++++-- docs/SRU/reference/package-specific.rst | 1 + 2 files changed, 67 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index c91a5838f..f1f9f3a80 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ nVidia DOCA-OFED drivers are used in conjunction with nVidia Bluefield cards, DGX and IGX platforms and Connect-X cards. These platforms are used in a variety of scenarios, included data-centers, AI/ML ... -Support for new platforms, bug fixes and general improvements are released +Support for new platforms, bug fixes and general improvements are released regularly by the vendor; there are 4 expected releases during the year (YY.01, YY.04, YY.07, YY.10) plus possible bug-fixes. @@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ drivers from an unofficial or an external source (PPAs/FTP...), it is essential to release the latest version of the drivers regularly to the new stable releases of Ubuntu. + .. _what_kind_of_updates: What kind of updates @@ -47,18 +48,18 @@ and fix older releases, with the focus on the LTS ones. The releases targeted by this SRU are all the 4 releases during the year. -When a new short lived release is available and uploaded, the versioning will +When a new short lived release is available and uploaded, meta-packages will make the user update to the newer release. This happens until the new release is an LTS one. If a user has a LTS release installed, the versioning will make the user update -*ONLY* to the newer LTS release, is available for the installed Ubuntu release. +*ONLY* to the newer LTS release, if available for the installed Ubuntu release. -.. _release_schedule: +.. _doca-ofed_release_schedule: -Release Schedule ----------------- +DOCA-OFED Release Schedule +-------------------------- - New version of the driver released by nVidia - Packaging in Canonical git repository @@ -66,9 +67,42 @@ Release Schedule - QA (smoke test, installs, operational tests, upgrade path test) - Package ready for release, upload to archive (-proposed pocket) - Promotion to the -updates pocket +- Prebuilt DKMS uploaded to the archive for a set of selected kernels + + +.. _re-packaging_artifacts: + +Re-Packaging artifacts +---------------------- + +The Canonical repackage of the DOCA-OFED DKMS set, generates a single .deb +package, called `doca-ofed--dkms.deb` containing source code for the +following set of nVidia DKMS kernel packages: + +- iser +- isert +- kernel-mft +- mlnx-nfsrdma +- mlnx-nvme +- mlnx-ofed-kernel +- srp + +The nVidia build system is dynamic and, depending on the kernel version and +configuration, can decide to build or not build a specific .ko file. +This can happen because a .ko module might already be in-tree and doesnt't need +to be substituted. As an example, fwctl.ko is generated when building the +package for Noble, but is not when building for Resolute. + +The final step is to then build and sign the DKMSs generated by the previously +listed packages with the standard Canonical Key and upload the final +`linux-modules-doca-ofed--.deb` and upload it to the +archive. -SRU Process ------------ + +.. _doca-ofed_sru_process: + +DOCA-OFED SRU Process +--------------------- The SRU should be done with a single process bug and not have multiple bug reports for each bug fix. The LP bug should contain the following: @@ -84,6 +118,24 @@ reports for each bug fix. The LP bug should contain the following: - Any packaging changes need to be stated. +.. _doca_ofed__qa_tests: + +QA tests +-------- + +The QA test consists of running the mentioned +`linux-modules-doca-ofed--.deb` package in an IGX and +a DGX machine, containing an nVidia ConnectX card. + +The test confirms that: + +- The kernel modules can be correctly loaded +- Using ibstatus all the Infiniband interfaces are available +- Using ib_write tests a loopback Infiniband fully works +- Start the nVidia fabric manager and confirm it correctly boots + + +.. _nvidia_sru_template: NVidia SRU Template ------------------- @@ -120,4 +172,10 @@ NVidia SRU Template +References +---------- +- `nVidia DOCA-OFED official download page `__ +- `nVidia DOCA-OFED official documentation `__ +- `nVidia DOCA-OFED release notes `__ +- `Repackaged test PPA `__ diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/package-specific.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/package-specific.rst index f5cf89690..155e6ba33 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/package-specific.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/package-specific.rst @@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ the Technical Board. exception-MariaDB-Galera-Updates exception-multipath-tools-Updates exception-NVidia-Updates + exception-NVidia-doca-ofed exception-Netplan-Updates exception-OEMMeta-Updates exception-OpenJDK-Updates From b80048f7d32603091e87b77e4f985496154fbba9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:23:18 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 03/12] Add suggestions from Jose Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- .../reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 49 ++++++++++--------- 1 file changed, 25 insertions(+), 24 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index f1f9f3a80..687be7fbc 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -1,24 +1,25 @@ -.. _reference-exception-NVidiaDocaOfed: +.. _reference-exception-NVIDIADocaOfed: -Nvidia DOCA-OFED Driver Updates +NVIDIA DOCA-OFED Driver Updates =============================== Introduction ------------ This document describes the policy, process and criteria for updating -nVidia proprietary DPU drivers (DOCA-OFED) in a stable supported distro, +NVIDIA proprietary DPU drivers (DOCA-OFED) in a stable supported distro, including LTS. -nVidia DOCA-OFED drivers are used in conjunction with nVidia Bluefield cards, +NVIDIA DOCA-OFED drivers are used in conjunction with NVIDIA Bluefield cards, DGX and IGX platforms and Connect-X cards. These platforms are used in a variety of scenarios, included data-centers, AI/ML ... -Support for new platforms, bug fixes and general improvements are released -regularly by the vendor; there are 4 expected releases during the year -(YY.01, YY.04, YY.07, YY.10) plus possible bug-fixes. +Support for new netorking hardware, platforms, bug fixes and general +improvements are released regularly by the vendor; there are 4 major +releases during the year (YY.01, YY.04, YY.07, YY.10) plus possible +bug-fixes. -The other 3 releases are ad-interim releases and are considered short-lived. +Each major release can have minor releases. For an improved experience and support new features/hardware without installing drivers from an unofficial or an external source (PPAs/FTP...), it is @@ -36,11 +37,11 @@ of release (i.e. YY = 26): - **Long term support releases**: The YY.10 version is the sole LTS release of the year, providing three years of full NVIDIA support. - This release is designed exclusively for the current Ubuntu version and will - not be backported or forward-ported to other Ubuntu releases. + This release is designed exclusively for current upstream kernels and will + receive kernel compatibility updates for a year only. - **Short lived releases**: YY.01, YY.04, YY.07 are released in their respective - months by nVidia, and are considered ad-interim releases, to be substituted + months by NVIDIA, and are considered ad-interim releases, to be substituted with the newer one and finish their path into the LTS release. Each YY.mm release will have a separate .deb package to make easier to track @@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ If a user has a LTS release installed, the versioning will make the user update DOCA-OFED Release Schedule -------------------------- -- New version of the driver released by nVidia +- New version of the driver released by NVIDIA - Packaging in Canonical git repository - Internal release in personal PPA - QA (smoke test, installs, operational tests, upgrade path test) @@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ Re-Packaging artifacts The Canonical repackage of the DOCA-OFED DKMS set, generates a single .deb package, called `doca-ofed--dkms.deb` containing source code for the -following set of nVidia DKMS kernel packages: +following set of NVIDIA DKMS kernel packages: - iser - isert @@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ following set of nVidia DKMS kernel packages: - mlnx-ofed-kernel - srp -The nVidia build system is dynamic and, depending on the kernel version and +The NVIDIA build system is dynamic and, depending on the kernel version and configuration, can decide to build or not build a specific .ko file. This can happen because a .ko module might already be in-tree and doesnt't need to be substituted. As an example, fwctl.ko is generated when building the @@ -125,19 +126,19 @@ QA tests The QA test consists of running the mentioned `linux-modules-doca-ofed--.deb` package in an IGX and -a DGX machine, containing an nVidia ConnectX card. +a DGX machine, containing an NVIDIA ConnectX card. The test confirms that: - The kernel modules can be correctly loaded - Using ibstatus all the Infiniband interfaces are available - Using ib_write tests a loopback Infiniband fully works -- Start the nVidia fabric manager and confirm it correctly boots +- Start the NVIDIA fabric manager and confirm it correctly boots .. _nvidia_sru_template: -NVidia SRU Template +NVIDIA SRU Template ------------------- :: @@ -153,29 +154,29 @@ NVidia SRU Template [Test Case] The following development and SRU process was followed: - https://documentation.ubuntu.com/sru/en/latest/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed/ + https://documentation.ubuntu.com/sru/en/latest/reference/exception-NVIDIA-doca-ofed/ - The QA team that executed the tests will be in charge of attaching the artifacts and console output of the appropriate run to the bug. nVidia maintainers team members will not mark ‘verification-done’ until this has happened. + The QA team that executed the tests will be in charge of attaching the artifacts and console output of the appropriate run to the bug. NVIDIA maintainers team members will not mark ‘verification-done’ until this has happened. [Regression Potential] In order to mitigate the regression potential, the results of the aforementioned system level tests are attached to this bug. - + [Discussion] - + References ---------- -- `nVidia DOCA-OFED official download page `__ -- `nVidia DOCA-OFED official documentation `__ -- `nVidia DOCA-OFED release notes `__ +- `NVIDIA DOCA-OFED official download page `__ +- `NVIDIA DOCA-OFED official documentation `__ +- `NVIDIA DOCA-OFED release notes `__ - `Repackaged test PPA `__ From bf4c0db1bcff1ebada8c3d6135b32f6934c7babc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:08:20 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 04/12] Add documentation regarding hardware support Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- .../reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 18 +++++++++++++++--- 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index 687be7fbc..cf7c44852 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -136,10 +136,10 @@ The test confirms that: - Start the NVIDIA fabric manager and confirm it correctly boots -.. _nvidia_sru_template: +.. _nvidia_doca_ofed_sru_template: -NVIDIA SRU Template -------------------- +NVIDIA DOCA-OFED SRU Template +----------------------------- :: @@ -173,6 +173,15 @@ NVIDIA SRU Template +Additional notes +---------------- + +NVIDIA certifies in the provided documentation that hardware will be retired +only in new GA versions, as stated in their `Customer affecting changes __` policy +and `DOCA compatibility policy __` +documents; this means by staying on a LTS release, customers will not lose +compatibility with old hardware. + References ---------- @@ -180,3 +189,6 @@ References - `NVIDIA DOCA-OFED official documentation `__ - `NVIDIA DOCA-OFED release notes `__ - `Repackaged test PPA `__ +- `NVIDIA Dependency compatibility policy `__ +- `NVIDIA DOCA compatibility policy `__ +- `NVIDIA Customer affecting changes `__ From 726744ef30cdcffcbc86c4c395c13538567488e7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:37:56 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 05/12] Add documentation about committment to maintain use cases Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 13 ++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index cf7c44852..de9b7cda0 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -176,7 +176,18 @@ NVIDIA DOCA-OFED SRU Template Additional notes ---------------- -NVIDIA certifies in the provided documentation that hardware will be retired +NVIDIA guarantees perpetual and backward binary compatibility, +as stated in their +public document `DOCA dependency compatibility policy `__: +the document states the following key objectives for new releases: + +- Decoupled updates: Supports environments where distinct teams manage separate parts of the software stack (e.g., firmware vs. user-space applications). +- Targeted upgrades: Enables upgrades targeted at specific subsets of devices within a server. +- Reduced maintenance overhead: Minimizes downtime and complexity by limiting updates to necessary components only. +- Operational continuity: Guarantees that customer applications continue to operate successfully after updating to a newer software platform release. + + +NVIDIA guarantess in the provided documentation that hardware will be retired only in new GA versions, as stated in their `Customer affecting changes __` policy and `DOCA compatibility policy __` documents; this means by staying on a LTS release, customers will not lose From d050fee8e7486de1c37461cec633ae6844f6bd4b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:42:54 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 06/12] Fix links Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 7 ++++--- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index de9b7cda0..a1e14190a 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -187,9 +187,10 @@ the document states the following key objectives for new releases: - Operational continuity: Guarantees that customer applications continue to operate successfully after updating to a newer software platform release. -NVIDIA guarantess in the provided documentation that hardware will be retired -only in new GA versions, as stated in their `Customer affecting changes __` policy -and `DOCA compatibility policy __` +NVIDIA guarantees in the provided documentation that hardware will be retired +only in new GA versions, as stated in their `Customer affecting changes `__ +policy and +`DOCA compatibility policy `__ documents; this means by staying on a LTS release, customers will not lose compatibility with old hardware. From 9b066fe129f7740318354a741da55efcdd351d22 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:00:34 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 07/12] Fix LTS length Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 5 ++--- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index a1e14190a..3c928ee96 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -36,9 +36,8 @@ There are 4 expected releases during the year, where YY stands for the year of release (i.e. YY = 26): - **Long term support releases**: The YY.10 version is the sole LTS release of - the year, providing three years of full NVIDIA support. - This release is designed exclusively for current upstream kernels and will - receive kernel compatibility updates for a year only. + the year; this release is designed exclusively for current upstream + kernels and will receive kernel compatibility updates for a year only. - **Short lived releases**: YY.01, YY.04, YY.07 are released in their respective months by NVIDIA, and are considered ad-interim releases, to be substituted From 78842164894879c2b6abacd7ddbf661788e84b02 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Mon, 4 May 2026 14:39:47 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 08/12] Add info about SRU exceptions and tests Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- .../reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 20 ++++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 19 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index 3c928ee96..5db822cab 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -53,7 +53,21 @@ make the user update to the newer release. This happens until the new release is an LTS one. If a user has a LTS release installed, the versioning will make the user update -*ONLY* to the newer LTS release, if available for the installed Ubuntu release. +*ONLY* to the newer LTS release, if available for the installed Kernel. + +What this document is asking, is for an SRU exception for the following rules: + +- Interim (Short-Lived) Releases: these versions require an exception for HWE + (Hardware Enablement) and micro-releases. + Rather than receiving incremental patches, these three releases are updated + via comprehensive package upgrades, which must be reflected as new package + submissions to the Universe repository. +- LTS Releases: A micro-release exception is necessary for LTS versions to + facilitate the delivery of bug fixes and new features from the last + ad-interim release of the year. + Since these updates are not handled upstream via standard patching and the + release maintains a full year support lifecycle, this exception ensures + the software remains robust without requiring new hardware support. .. _doca-ofed_release_schedule: @@ -134,6 +148,10 @@ The test confirms that: - Using ib_write tests a loopback Infiniband fully works - Start the NVIDIA fabric manager and confirm it correctly boots +The sequence of tests are manually run by an operator, and are +described in more details +`here `__ + .. _nvidia_doca_ofed_sru_template: From 4af7aaad9dae5080d74afb3062d63414bba646b1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:53:56 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 09/12] Clarify SRU scope Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- .../reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 46 +++++++++---------- 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index 5db822cab..375e28e76 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -14,12 +14,8 @@ NVIDIA DOCA-OFED drivers are used in conjunction with NVIDIA Bluefield cards, DGX and IGX platforms and Connect-X cards. These platforms are used in a variety of scenarios, included data-centers, AI/ML ... -Support for new netorking hardware, platforms, bug fixes and general -improvements are released regularly by the vendor; there are 4 major -releases during the year (YY.01, YY.04, YY.07, YY.10) plus possible -bug-fixes. - -Each major release can have minor releases. +Support for new networking hardware, platforms, bug fixes and general +improvements are released regularly by NVIDIA during the year. For an improved experience and support new features/hardware without installing drivers from an unofficial or an external source (PPAs/FTP...), it is @@ -38,37 +34,37 @@ of release (i.e. YY = 26): - **Long term support releases**: The YY.10 version is the sole LTS release of the year; this release is designed exclusively for current upstream kernels and will receive kernel compatibility updates for a year only. - + This release only receives bug fixes and security updates. - **Short lived releases**: YY.01, YY.04, YY.07 are released in their respective months by NVIDIA, and are considered ad-interim releases, to be substituted with the newer one and finish their path into the LTS release. + These releases receive bug fixes and security updates, but also new features. + +The release targeted by the SRU are: -Each YY.mm release will have a separate .deb package to make easier to track -and fix older releases, with the focus on the LTS ones. +- **LTS** and **Non-LTS** -The releases targeted by this SRU are all the 4 releases during the year. + - Long term support releases + - Short lived releases + +As NVIDIA uses a 2 different versioning schemes, the version number of the +driver is not directly related to the version number of the release, but it's +a semver; as an example 26.01 is uploaded in the archive as DOCA 3.3.x and +26.04 as 3.4.x. When a new short lived release is available and uploaded, meta-packages will make the user update to the newer release. This happens until the new release is an LTS one. -If a user has a LTS release installed, the versioning will make the user update -*ONLY* to the newer LTS release, if available for the installed Kernel. - -What this document is asking, is for an SRU exception for the following rules: +For example if version 3.3.0 is in the LTS and 3.4.0 is the NVIDIA LTS. -- Interim (Short-Lived) Releases: these versions require an exception for HWE - (Hardware Enablement) and micro-releases. - Rather than receiving incremental patches, these three releases are updated - via comprehensive package upgrades, which must be reflected as new package - submissions to the Universe repository. -- LTS Releases: A micro-release exception is necessary for LTS versions to - facilitate the delivery of bug fixes and new features from the last - ad-interim release of the year. - Since these updates are not handled upstream via standard patching and the - release maintains a full year support lifecycle, this exception ensures - the software remains robust without requiring new hardware support. +- Version 3.3.1 is uploaded to the LTS, users will be upgraded. +- Version 3.4.0 is uploaded to the LTS, a transitional metapackage is created to upgrade the user to the latest version. +- Version 3.5.0 is uploaded to the LTS, user will not be upgraded and no transitional metapackage will be created. +The last statement could change in the future depending on discssions with +NVIDIA and the community, but the idea is to not force users to upgrade to a +new release that might drop support for old hardware automatically. .. _doca-ofed_release_schedule: From 44bc9b30ae7ee3b0bd15b8be10d318847bfd7a58 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:24:54 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 10/12] Fix requested by MitchellAugustin Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 13 ++++++++----- 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index 375e28e76..3d44a14be 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -50,25 +50,28 @@ The release targeted by the SRU are: As NVIDIA uses a 2 different versioning schemes, the version number of the driver is not directly related to the version number of the release, but it's a semver; as an example 26.01 is uploaded in the archive as DOCA 3.3.x and -26.04 as 3.4.x. +26.04 as 3.4.x; Canonical will use only the first two digits of the semver +to create a package (e.g. doca-ofed-3.4-dkms); the third digit will be used +to upgrade an existing package (for bug-fixes etc...) When a new short lived release is available and uploaded, meta-packages will make the user update to the newer release. This happens until the new release is an LTS one. -For example if version 3.3.0 is in the LTS and 3.4.0 is the NVIDIA LTS. +For example if the non-LTS DOCA version 3.3.0 is in the Ubuntu LTS release, +and 3.4.0 is the next DOCA LTS: - Version 3.3.1 is uploaded to the LTS, users will be upgraded. - Version 3.4.0 is uploaded to the LTS, a transitional metapackage is created to upgrade the user to the latest version. - Version 3.5.0 is uploaded to the LTS, user will not be upgraded and no transitional metapackage will be created. -The last statement could change in the future depending on discssions with +The last statement could change in the future depending on discussions with NVIDIA and the community, but the idea is to not force users to upgrade to a new release that might drop support for old hardware automatically. -.. _doca-ofed_release_schedule: +.. _doca-ofed_release_process: -DOCA-OFED Release Schedule +DOCA-OFED Release Process -------------------------- - New version of the driver released by NVIDIA From 4173bd35fe815bc1d2b756d2739fe1ff8c534d68 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:45:17 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 11/12] Add LTS -> LTS transition explanation Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 7 ++++--- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index 3d44a14be..989067929 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -61,9 +61,10 @@ is an LTS one. For example if the non-LTS DOCA version 3.3.0 is in the Ubuntu LTS release, and 3.4.0 is the next DOCA LTS: -- Version 3.3.1 is uploaded to the LTS, users will be upgraded. -- Version 3.4.0 is uploaded to the LTS, a transitional metapackage is created to upgrade the user to the latest version. -- Version 3.5.0 is uploaded to the LTS, user will not be upgraded and no transitional metapackage will be created. +- Version 3.3.1 is uploaded to the Ubuntu LTS, users will be upgraded. +- Version 3.4.0 is uploaded to the Ubuntu LTS, a transitional metapackage is created to upgrade the user to the latest version. +- Version 4.0.0 (DOCA GA) is uploaded to the Ubuntu LTS, user will not be upgraded and no transitional metapackage will be created. +- Version 4.4.0 (next DOCA LTS) is uploaded to the Ubuntu LTS. Once the previous DOCA GA and LTS versions reach end of support upstream, a transitional metapackage is created to upgrade users from those previous GA versions and from the previous LTS (3.4.0) to the latest version. The last statement could change in the future depending on discussions with NVIDIA and the community, but the idea is to not force users to upgrade to a From 4e85a650177e67dae79352f0471352f2519dddc4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alessio Faina Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:20:15 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 12/12] Remove the repackaging section as deemed not necessary Signed-off-by: Alessio Faina --- .../reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst | 29 ------------------- 1 file changed, 29 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst index 989067929..52e3da56f 100644 --- a/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst +++ b/docs/SRU/reference/exception-NVidia-doca-ofed.rst @@ -84,35 +84,6 @@ DOCA-OFED Release Process - Prebuilt DKMS uploaded to the archive for a set of selected kernels -.. _re-packaging_artifacts: - -Re-Packaging artifacts ----------------------- - -The Canonical repackage of the DOCA-OFED DKMS set, generates a single .deb -package, called `doca-ofed--dkms.deb` containing source code for the -following set of NVIDIA DKMS kernel packages: - -- iser -- isert -- kernel-mft -- mlnx-nfsrdma -- mlnx-nvme -- mlnx-ofed-kernel -- srp - -The NVIDIA build system is dynamic and, depending on the kernel version and -configuration, can decide to build or not build a specific .ko file. -This can happen because a .ko module might already be in-tree and doesnt't need -to be substituted. As an example, fwctl.ko is generated when building the -package for Noble, but is not when building for Resolute. - -The final step is to then build and sign the DKMSs generated by the previously -listed packages with the standard Canonical Key and upload the final -`linux-modules-doca-ofed--.deb` and upload it to the -archive. - - .. _doca-ofed_sru_process: DOCA-OFED SRU Process